Briyas Foods | The Best Tofu You Could Have and More

• ByAnushka Singh     |    January 7, 2021

“Success and failure will both come, we have to accept them and keep working”- Yamini Founder, Briyas Foods.

It was the Greek philosopher Hippocrates who said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Food is our fuel. Eating healthy has long term physiological and psychological benefits for human beings, and Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. And let me tell you about Briyas Foods Private Limited. a phenomenal brand that has been working hard to bring to you this protein in the most compact and easy-to-include way possible. Know the inspiring story of Briyas Foods. Startup Story Media In conversation with Sivaram CEO, Briyas Foods.

The road not taken

In 2014, Yamini and her husband Sivaram, both former IT employees of over a decade started Briyas Foods Private Limited to provide healthy, protein-rich food made with ingredients of the highest quality. The couple has two daughters and post their youngest’s birth in 2014, Yamini decided to quit her job. Initially, she didn’t have a concrete idea of what she would do, but she knew it would be something that would make her daughters proud and do justice to the efforts her parents put in raising and educating her. So, began her efforts to look for a software job that would give her a small income but soon realized she wasn’t interested in the line she has already worked at and wanted to pursue something new.

Here comes the inspiration

Yamini attended a Ted-talk by Dr Khader Vali, popularly known as the “Millet Man” of India credited with reviving five different millets types. Inspired by the Millet Man, Yamini turned to the food industry. She wanted to bring to India, something new and different, which would be suitable for everyone. She researched and studied many health reports and came to know about proteins and their significance. As she found about the detrimental effects of protein deficiency and lactose intolerance, the idea of a plant-based protein diet dawned upon her.

Conception and inception of Briyas Foods

Yamini started experimenting at home with Tofu, food made of condensed soy milk pressed into concrete white blocks in a process quite similar to cheesemaking. As she prepared Tofu and improved upon it, Yamini thought “if my family is eating it, why can’t I make it available for consumers at an affordable price.” With her husband’s help, Yamini started the manufacturing process at a small scale, bringing Tofu based Briyas Foods Private Limited to the picture. The origin of the name Briyas is particularly intriguing as the name stands for their family as a whole, (B- Brithi, RI-Rishi, YA- Yamini, S- Siva). Briyas Foods became the couple’s third child, and Yamini grew the business like a mother rears her child.

Growing Pains

The incoming acceptance and admiration of the product prompted Yamini to expand the business. The expansion initially faced growing pains as the small- scale manufacturing units and employees struggled to cope. There was also the issue of lack of awareness among consumers regarding the difference between paneer and Tofu. “some people called to tell us this was the best tofu they have ever had, some people called to tell us it was the worst paneer they have had ever had“. But, Yamini educated the customers and supported the employees along the way.

The third child growing

Briyas Foods started with no business idea and has grown today from one employee to 45, expanding to Chennai, Kochin, Vijaywada, Vizag, and Tirupati to expand to Goa, Pondicherry and Mumbai. Qualified for international supplies, they are now supplying to food industry giants like EatFit and conducting R&D with players like ITC. The biggest accomplishment of Briyas Foods, according to Shivakesaran is that supermarkets called them and wanted to list their products, and they soon acquired a monopoly. Another feather in Briyas’s hat is the fact that the company is backed by the savings of Yamini and Sivaram and isn’t funded by any bank or company.

Message To The World

When Startup Story Media asked what would be the precioius message you want the world to know. Yamini says “I am very happy to work, I had no idea when I started Briyas Foods, I learned many things in my journey, and I’m still learning”. Sivaram says “The company is slowly moving not running. It’s our passion for food.”

What makes Briyas different.

The company Briyas Foods based out of JP Nagar, Bangalore, is founded on the principle of ethics, providing consumers with clean and green products. The company is equipped with the latest machinery. Their tofu is made with high profile ingredients like soya milk and is protein rich. It has no added preservatives, chemicals and doesn’t go under acidification process. Briyas Foods’ superior packaging using multiwax packing imported from Germany protects the product from day 1 to day 30 gives the company an edge. Briyas Foods product range of frozen tofu fries, tofu burger patties, tofu nuggets, plant-based milk is all set to launch in 2021.

Also, check out more stories of Startup story media and visit Briyas Food’s website and get a taste of this home-grown protein packed goodness by ordering some from them. Include Briyas Foods in your daily routine and take a step further toward a healthier and chemical free life.

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